I'm Matteo De Vellis and this website is a brief overview of one of my most exhaustive projects; my home server. Below you will find an explanation of how the server works, the processes involved with running and maintaining it as well as what kind of applications I run on my virtual powerhouse.
My server setup is tailored for a robust and flexible computing environment utilizing Linux Containers (LXC). Each application runs within its dedicated LXC, ensuring optimal resource utilization and enhancing overall system stability. Notable applications hosted on my server include Home Assistant.
Each service/application is equipped with redundancy and fallback protocols to mitigate the impact of unforeseen events such as power loss or data corruption.
I leverage Linux Containers (LXC), a versatile technology compatible with various Linux distributions. Proxmox, serving as a robust hypervisor, is optimized not only for LXC but also for fully-fledged Virtual Machines (VMs). Proxmox facilitates automated backup and snapshots of both LXC and VM instances, stored in designated storage pools.
The primary storage pool consists of 4TB WD Red Plus drives configured in a ZFS storage pool using the ZFS equivalent of Raid 5, known as "Raidz1." This setup ensures data integrity even if a drive fails, providing a resilient storage foundation.
To enhance data security, each LXC undergoes a snapshot once a week, capturing the current state of each application. Additionally, my applications are backed up to a redundant 5x 4TB array, also running in a Raid 5 configuration, on a separate machine. Automatic monthly mirroring of the primary server's storage pool to this backup array further fortifies data redundancy.
While industry-standard practices, such as the "3, 2, 1 backup" rule, can be cost-prohibitive for individual setups, I've implemented an effective alternative. Backblaze, a cloud backup service, serves as an offsite backup solution. For a monthly fee of $10, coupled with a recovery fee based on actual data retrieval, Backblaze offers an economical yet reliable safeguard against unforeseen data loss.
My commitment to data integrity and security is paramount, and my server architecture reflects this dedication through a thoughtful combination of local redundancy, snapshots, and cloud-based backup solutions.